This event has been going for many years, starting off in Leeds and then moving north to satisfy the need for an annual convention for the many fans of the great band Free in the north-east. My friend John, who is a massive Free and Paul Kossoff fan has been wanting to go for many years. However, he now lives in the USA, so arranging things to attend this event has been tricky. Things changed and this year he happened to be over in the north-east at the same time as the aforementioned convention.
Demand for tickets for the convention was such that the originally scheduled Saturday night sold out quickly and a second night, on the preceding Friday, was organised. It quickly sold out also. I had got us tickets for the Saturday night and John decided he would also attend the Friday night event. John is based in North Yorkshire when he stays in the UK, but made the journey up to Cullercoats both evenings to attend this convention. True dedication. He reported back to me that it was excellent and we were both looking forward to the Saturday show.
John arrived at my house around teatime and, with my carer Jan, we quickly set off to Cullercoats both excited about the event. In the past, the convention has featured guest performances by Free drummer Simon Kirke, and the late bassist Andy Fraser. This time we were treated to three Free tribute bands, and an excellent raffle and auction event. We arrived at the venue just before the start time of 7 PM and the organiser was very helpful in finding us a vantage point close to the stage. Many thanks indeed.
First up was a band called Stealer who played a great set based around the second Free album (the “Woman” LP). Stealer are a 3-piece rock band based in Lincolnshire play classic rock and blues covers from Free and Bad Company. They have their own following and play all over the UK. A good start and warmup to the evening.
After a short changeover the next band on stage were the Heartbreaker Collective who were absolutely fantastic. They played a set of Free classics and really did justice to the music and soul of Free. All musicians were excellent and the singer looked so cool, with a really great hairdo! See the images.Apparently this band come together once a year for this event. Considering this they were simply awesome. A group of passionate young musicians! The dancefloor soon filled and many people were up and dancing, reliving their youth. A great atmosphere.
Then it was time for the raffle. Seven items were raffled including a first prize of a magnificent Free at the Isle of Wight poster and a second prize of a lovely Paul Kossoff poster. Sadly, we did not score anything in the raffle. Next up was an auction of items signed by Paul Rogers and Simon Kirke. At this point we had to leave to catch our taxi.
A great event, and it is a massive credit to the organiser who is clearly a massive and passionate Free fan. Thank you so much John for recommending we attend. I bought a Bad Company programme from a previous tour, which I do not have in my collection. A great addition.
Thanks to John and Jan for the images and Chris for helping me manipulate the site as usual. I would recommend this event to any free fan. From shout outs during the interval, it was very clear that aficionados of the band had travelled from all over the country to witness something special, celebrating one of the best and most soulful, bluesy rock bands ever; their like will never be seen again. I was privileged to see Free on four occasions which I will never forget. RIP Paul Kossoff and Andy Fraser.
It is almost 50 years since I last saw 
Tangerine Dream were the forerunners of many electronic bands who followed: Kraftwerk, Jean Michelle Jarre, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and many many more. The Boiler Shop website described them well: “Some bands pioneer a genre, a few acts transcend codification, and the rarest of groups defy classification altogether. Tangerine Dream managed all three. Founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese in Berlin, the group established themselves with their groundbreaking 1974 album Phaedra which became a milestone in electronic music history. Over the last 53 years, Tangerine Dream released more than one hundred albums. Their early “Pink Years” albums had a pivotal role in the development of Krautrock. Their “Virgin Years” – such as Rubycon and Force Majeure albums helped define what became known as the Berlin School of electronic music.”
“Thorsten Quaeschning is a Berlin-based and classically trained musician and composer, has been a longtime member of Tangerine Dream since 2005, which makes him the second longest serving member in the band’s history. In 2013, two years before Edgar Froese’s death, he put him in charge as the Musical Director of the band. Thorsten composed and played on more than 70 Tangerine Dream albums over those years including the successful studio album Quantum Gate on the basis of Edgar Froese’s musical sketches – released in 2017 and nominated for the Progressive Rock Award.”
“Hoshiko Yamane is a Japanese Berlin-based classically trained violinist and composer. She has been a member of Tangerine Dream since 2011. After she graduated with the Master of Fine Arts in Japan, she moved to Berlin. She also graduated with a diploma in violin from the University of Music and Theater in Rostock, Germany. During her study she performed with the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester. Hoshiko already collaborated with many renown international artists like Jane Birkin i.e. In 2013 she started her first electronic solo project (Tukico) and in 2017 she released her first solo album A Story Of A Man.”
“Paul Frick was born in 1979 in Berlin. He took composition classes since the age of twelve with Il-Ryun Chung. Paul Frick joined Tangerine Dream in 2020. From 2000 to 2008 he studied composition with Friedrich Goldmann at Universität der Künste Berlin. Together with Daniel Brandt and Jan Brauer he forms the group Brandt Brauer Frick. In August 2018 Paul Frick’s solo debut album Second Yard Botanicals appeared on Apollo/R&S Records.”
Shortly after 8 PM the music started. The band, no longer pure white, were enveloped in a series of lighting effects; behind them images and Liquid Lens type psychedelic swirling movements on screen. The Boiler Shop is the perfect venue for the band and their soundscapes. It is the original factory/workshop in which George Stephenson built his groundbreaking locomotives (see image). The metallic open space seemed very fitting for the electronic and trance sounds which soon drifted around the room. Each song merged into the next, the lights and imagery were stunning as was the electronic music. I enjoyed it much, much more than I expected. This was Tangerine Dream reborn, reimagined and rejuvenated.
Many thanks to Jan for the photography, Chris for the manipulation of the site and Elaine for accompanying me to the concert. Tangerine Dream continue to explore further into the magic of electronic instruments, augmented by soaring violin and accompanied by the very appropriate 1970s visuals. Magical.
I have lots of fond memories of seeing 
Further on in his career, I was lucky enough to see Eurythmics perform at Newcastle City Hall. I also recall seeing Dave Stewart join Fergal Sharkey on stage for an encore at Newcastle City Hall, on Fergal’s first solo tour after leaving the Undertones.
I then saw Dave with Ringo Starr at the opening of the Capital of Culture in Liverpool, which was also the opening concert at the new venue, Liverpool Arena. Since then, I have seen him perform at a couple of homecoming concerts, one previous concert at Sunderland Empire and more recently at the new Sunderland music venue The Fire Station. All great shows and great memories.
This time Dave Stewart returned to Sunderland Empire to perform another homecoming show, this time showcasing “the Eurythmics Songbook” drawing from his back catalogue of great songs which he wrote with Annie Lennox. The theatre was, quite rightly, jampacked and everyone was excited about seeing Dave Stewart back home performing those great classic tunes. I met many good friends at the concert; it was nice to catch up on old times.
Dave Stewart has done pretty well for a lad from Sunderland. He has sold in excess of 100 million albums worldwide. He has also played with some of the biggest names in the business. It is great that he remembers his roots, and this return home concert was much anticipated by the people of Sunderland. The Sunderland Empire advertised the show thus: “Eurythmics Songbook tour marks the first time in more than 20 years that fans can see a full length show of Eurythmics classics – performed on tour by Stewart and a full live band.
Featuring Dave alongside an all-female band of virtuoso singers and musicians, the tour promises to take fans on a nostalgic and electrifying musical journey spanning four decades of the iconic musical partnership’s ground-breaking hits. Celebrating a remarkable 40 years since the release of the timeless Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), Eurythmics, known for their unique blend of synth-pop, new wave, soul and rock, have sold over 75 million albums worldwide since their 1980’s debut and have become enduring icons of popular music.”
As mentioned above, Stewart has assembled an all–female band of excellent musicians and singers who helped him perform the Eurythmics hits. The singers, one of whom was Dave’s daughter, were all tremendous and delivered the goods in recreating and reimagining the vocals performed previously by Annie Lennox.
Dave was resplendent in silver suit, but still very much a Sunderland lad. He reminisced of going to the Mecca and old times in Sunderland. Very much a front man for much of the show, Dave Stewart also alternated between centre stage and stepping back, allowing the great musicians around him to take the lead.
The evening was brought to a close with an encore of “Sweet Dreams”, accompanied by a deluge of red-and-white (of course) tickertape falling from the rafters. Very appropriate. By now the entire Empire crowd was up on its feet, singing along, going absolutely crazy. Another great evening spent with a true Sunderland legend. Bought myself a T-shirt as a memento, which I am proudly wearing today as I write this.
Setlist: Take Me to Your Heart / Never Gonna Cry Again / The Walk / This City Never Sleeps; It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back); Love Is a Stranger; I Love You Like a Ball and Chain; I Need a Man; You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart; I Saved the World Today; Who’s That Girl?; There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart); The Miracle of Love; Thorn in My Side; When Tomorrow Comes; Here Comes the Rain Again; When the Day Goes Down; Missionary Man; Would I Lie to You?; Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves; Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
I am not sure who suggested going. Maybe it was my sister-in-law Elaine or carer Jan, who both accompanied me to the show. Never mind, thank you to whichever one of you it was. I don’t think I would have gone along to 
The tour publicity heralded the concert thus: “The King is back! One of the most unique concert experiences of recent years is set to return for 2023 having won the hearts of critics and fans a-like, as Elvis is set once again to be back, in an arena near you! The full-scale concert brings the King up close on screen alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra live on stage performing the King of Rock and Roll’s most well-known “rocking” songs and his tender, heart-wrenching ballads, with a special guest to be announced in due course. A show like no other, expect an overwhelmingly encapsulating and enthralling evening!
This is the only chance to experience the man who changed the course of popular music, selling an unparalleled 1 billion records worldwide, his popularity unwavering as the critical and commercial success of the Baz Luhrman produced biopic Elvis showed us in cinemas this year! The collaboration between the music of Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra has spearheaded an incredible phenomenon, with new orchestral arrangements of the music of the most legendary artists of all time being presented with the original recordings of the artists’ own voice which led to three huge-selling and critically acclaimed albums (If I Can Dream, The Wonder of You, and Christmas with Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).
With Elvis never having toured the UK, or performing with a full sized orchestra as were two of his dreams, these shows are a chance to both honour the legacy of an icon who has defined popular culture for over half a century, and for fans to see ‘The King’ live, who never had the chance to before.”
I have always been a fan of Elvis. Ever since I was very young and bought copies of “King Creole” and “Heartbreak Hotel” on 78 from a local second hand shop. I played and played those records. I then saw the 1968 Comeback Show on TV at some point and was totally knocked out by the guy, his energy, swagger, style and voice. Without Elvis, would we have The Beatles, and modern day rock ‘n’ roll? Who knows. I also remember buying “In the Ghetto” when it was in the charts. I love that record to this day.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra took to the stage to a loud round of applause. A large screen behind the orchestra displayed the initials “EP” to remind us of what we were about to experience. They performed “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” with the lyrics displayed on the big-screen. The orchestra was augmented by a band with an excellent guitarist and a group of very soulful singers. Next, another large screen descended from the rafters and Elvis, from Las Vegas, was singing “Burning Love” to us. The sound was amazing and this was the start of a wonderful journey through the life of Elvis Presley. Possibly the greatest singer and artist the world has ever seen.
We were taken through a range of Elvis classics including “Trouble”, “That’s All Right Mama”, “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel” with footage alternating between early and mid-1970s Las Vegas performances to film from the aforementioned 1968 Comeback TV Show triumph. All of this reminded me of how great a performer the man was. I can’t quite recall the order of proceedings but there was a short interval during which I had a lovely tray of chips (lots of salt) having had a pint of beer on the way in. I also purchased a T-shirt which I am proudly wearing as I type this with my speech software and a programme (pictured).
There was a tour of Graceland, courtesy of Elvis’ old friend who now manages the estate (I would love to visit) and the voice of Priscilla Presley talking about her life with Elvis while images of Priscilla, Elvis, a young Lisa Marie and happy family memories were shown.
The aforementioned “Suspicious Minds” had everyone up on their feet dancing and singing. They remained so for the rest of the performance which closed with the magnificent “American Trilogy” from Las Vegas and “If I Can Dream” from the 1968 TV show. Very emotional stuff. Much, much better than I had expected.
Setlist: Burning Love; Welcome To My World; Steamroller Blues; Fever; You Gave Me A Mountain; You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me; I Just Can’t Help Believing; Just Pretend; You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling; Amazing Grace; I Can’t Help Falling In Love; In The Ghetto; How Great Thou Art; Bridge Over Troubled Water; Trouble/Guitar Man; That’s Alright Mama; Hound Dog; Don’t Be Cruel; Heartbreak Hotel; Are You Lonesome Tonight; All Shook Up; Blue Suede Shoes; Memories; Love Me Tender; The Wonder Of You; Suspicious Minds; What Now My Love; Big Hunk Of Love; American Trilogy; If I Can Dream.
I am continuing my quest to make up for lost time and see every band that I am interested in, and have not yet seen live. So, 
Of course, I knew “The Final Countdown” and vaguely new “Carrie” but that was about it. Anyway, time to put this right. So, I bought tickets to see Europe at the recently renamed lovely, local venue the 
From the tour information: “Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979, by lead vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer Tony Reno. They obtained a major breakthrough in Sweden in 1982 by winning the televised competition “Rock-SM” (Swedish Rock Championships); it was the first time this competition was held, and Europe became a larger success than the competition itself.
Since their formation, Europe has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, three compilations and twenty-four music videos. Europe have millions of album sales under their belt and a No1 smash in 1986, with the legendary The Final Countdown, which received an award from YouTube in 2022 for the first Swedish band ever to receive a BILLION views for any one song.” Pretty impressive!
The first thing that surprised me was just how popular this band is. The venue was almost sold out very few seats remaining. I looked round at the T-shirts that people were wearing: Journey (yes, I see some similarities, another band I must see again as I have not seen them since they first started and I saw them at Newcastle Mayfair in the late 1970s I think), Def Leopard, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and several other classic, heavyish rock bands.
I only recognised four songs: “Final Countdown”, “Carrie”, “Rock the Night” and pretty great covers of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” (singer Joey Tempest announced that they were good friends of David Coverdale and that he was a local lad from Redcar, which prompted a loud cheer from the crowd), and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”. Joey Tempest is a great front man and the band are clearly great friends who have been together with the original lineup still intact, for 40 years. Again, pretty impressive. This is a true classic rock band who deserve their success. A great evening with a great band.
I first encountered 
The next time I witnessed Glenn Hughes was when he performed as part of the Jon Lord Memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Again, he was a human dynamo, commanding the stage with magnificent, searing, soulful vocals. And again, he was a human powerhouse. He deserves the title “The Voice of Rock” which is often quoted about him.
I have been remiss in missing out on the last few times that Glenn played in Newcastle. This time the tour was promoted as a celebration of classic Deep Purple and the album Burn, so I could not resist attending. And I am so glad that I did. Jackie and I arrived in time to catch the last few songs of the support act 
Soon Glenn Hughes exploded onto the stage. This guy is amazing. His voice remains strong and soulful and he has so much energy. Glenn was clearly pleased to be back in the north-east and delivered a set of Deep Purple classics, each song lasting 10 to 15 minutes with extended guitar solos. There was even a drum solo! This was a proper 1970s rock performance. Standout songs were “Mistreated”, “Burn” and a great rendition of “Highway Star”.
The Voice of Rock demonstrated how he deserves this title. Great showmanship, much patting of the heart and dedication to his old friend and bandmate the late, great Tommy Bolin. They both shared addictions sadly Tommy did not survive, while Glenn managed to beat his demons. Glenn has lived in the USA for many years, and has put together an excellent band with an exceptional guitarist who did justice to those great Purple rock anthems.
An excellent night with a truly exciting and explosive rock legend. I bought a signed poster. Many thanks to Jackie and Chris for the images.
I always thought that 
Unbeknown to me, during the Covid lock down, Toyah and Robert started their own Sunday lunch video stream, every Sunday, where they would perform a cover version of one of their favourite songs, largely rock classics, in which they had some sort of connection to the artist. They have now started touring the show with a full band. This is another surprise, I always had Robert Fripp down as a very quiet shy individual.
However it seems that I was wrong, and/or Toyah has succeeded in bringing him out of his shell. So Toyah does most of the talking but there is some playful banter between both of them, and Fripp sits on a stool playing absolutely impeccable Les Paul guitar. The rest of the band consists of a couple more guitarists, bass, keyboards and drums.
So, the concert starts 7:30 PM prompt, with a short interval and finishes quite early at 9:45 PM. This allows ample time to cram in a great selection of songs; a mix of covers (as aforementioned, usually with some connection to the artist) and some of Toyah’s own hits. We start with Toyah’s “Thunder In the Mountains”, followed by Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”, Toyah revealing that her husband played guitar on the Parallel Lines album, a fact that I was not aware of. It seems Fripp has many more streams to his bow that I realised.
Toyah is dressed in a lovely red frock and does some wonderful dance moves. Next up is Lenny Kravitz and “Are You Gonna Go my Way”; apparently King Crimson supported Lenny on a US tour and Toyah went along for the ride. Then Martha and the Muffins “Echo Beach” which Toyah covered and had a hit with, another fact that had somehow passed me by. Back to a Toyah favourite and “It’s a Mystery”. Brings back memories of seeing Toyah at Newcastle City Hall several times during the 1980s and even earlier when she first emerged from punk at Newcastle Mayfair. Happy days. I did wonder if she would perform any punk classics such as something by Sex Pistols. But this wasn’t to be. I guess I can’t have everything.
Toyah explained that she went to gigs in Birmingham from an early age and saw Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep and Black Sabbath: “a concert which changed my life”, leading us into “Paranoid”. Cream’s “Sunshine of your Love” is followed by “Tainted Love” and a story of how Toyah shared the bill on an 80’s tour with Mark Almond. Finally the first set concludes with Led Zeppelin and the sprawling, mystical imagery that is “Kashmir”. Toyah explains that this particular rock god visits them at their home quite often. But does she mean Plant or Page? I suspect Robert Plant?
The 2nd set begins with Metallica and “Enter Sandman”, followed quickly by “Schools Out” Toyah wielding a baseball bat and explaining how the song meant so much to her at the time of its release: “I hated school”. She also explained how Alice Cooper came online and watched her and Robert perform “Poison” from their kitchen! “Sweet Child o’ mine” is followed by “Fashion” and an explanation that Robert had a close collaboration with David Bowie and played guitar on that track. Another fact I was unaware of. The guy is clearly world-class, as of course I always knew. After a couple more great rock songs from ZZ Top and Neil Young Toyah relates another interesting story.
Trevor Horn contacted the pair recently and asked them to rerecord “Relax” and it will be released very soon. She explained how Fripp is 77 and she is 65 and the sentiment and lyrics of the song may seem a little bizarre in that context. Having said that, she sang the song directly to her husband. Billy Idol had invited Toyah to support him on his recent arena tour and hence “Rebel Yell” follows. Back to Toyah and “I Want to Be Free”.
Time for the encore and another surprise. Apparently Bowie and Eno invited Robert to travel to Berlin and play guitar on the next song “Heroes”. Classic. The closing song is the Arrows (does anyone else out there remember the TV show? I used to love it!) and Joan Jett classic “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”. A great show performed by a well-established front person and her enigmatic husband, a true rock god and guitar genius. Thanks to Elaine for the photography for the evening. Bought a signed programme during the interval. Day 3 of 3 concerts. Time for some rest.
A Stream of Memories: please bear with for this blog entry. The afternoon and the brought back lots of memories. I will ramble through them here.
I would buy every one I saw and I ended up with multiple copies of each album. So I had 5 copies of Sergeant Pepper, 7 copies of Please Please Me, 6 copies of The White Album, and so on. I gave family members full collections of all the albums and singles. I sold some on eBay. I am busy collecting a full set again on eBay, so that I have a set downstairs to play on my retro record player. I have sets upstairs but I can’t get to them in my wheelchair so I leave them intact and I start again!
I know this is crazy, but it is the madness of being a hoarder. Anyway, to get the point, Jan my carer and I were playing two albums: Hard Days Night and Beatles For Sale before leaving for the concert. I started thinking; without the Beatles where would we be? Would they be any pop and rock as we know it? Would there be any Waterboys? Anyway we left for the concert with “Babies in Black” and “I’ll Cry Instead” ringing through my head. Magic.
Newcastle Tiffany’s. The last time I saw the Waterboys was around 1985, when “Whole of the Moon” was in the charts. It was at Newcastle Tiffany’s, an old Mecca nightclub which was a great venue where I witnessed many great concerts: Altered Images when “Happy Birthday” was number 1 in the charts, Cocteau Twins, and many others. Happy days, lots of memories.
Surprisingly, for me anyway, the current band does not include violin which was central to the sound of many of the Waterboys better known songs. Instead, the Waterboys now comprise two keyboard players, who take the lead on many of the songs. One guy to the left of the stage is dressed in tight crushed velvet plum coloured flares (which he changes into tight white/black striped trousers during the interval), with a long coat and long flowing white hair to match. He plays a swirling 1960s style Hammond organ, pushing it backwards and forwards and running his fingers up and down the keyboard. He also comes to front of stage and plays a guitar keyboard (the same sort as Edgar Winter uses). He is a real showman and a great asset to the band. The other keyboard player is dressed in very smart mod gear with a natty hat to match. He concentrates on playing excellent electric piano. And Mike is front stage snarling, spitting out the songs and playing great see-through Perspex guitar, acoustic guitar and a selection of wonderful instruments.
I said I would return to the subject of loving Newcastle City Hall as a great venue. Mike Scott: “it is great to be back at the old City Hall. I have played the Sage many times, and it is a lovely venue, but it is a long time since I played the City Hall. It is good to be back here and to say “hello Newcastle” (big cheer) again” (or something like that). I don’t know many of the songs, “Fisherman’s Blues” stands out and is fantastic. “Ladbroke Grove” tells the story of Mike’s early years living in London, “It Was Over” relates the tale of an early schoolboy crush, “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” is a spoken word extract from Wind in the Willows and sounds quite mystical, appropriate and magical. Springsteen’s/Patti Smith’s “Because the Night” is mixed with a Scott song “The Pan Within”.
They return for an encore and finish with “The Whole Of the Moon” and everyone is up on their feet, singing and dancing. Mental note: go and see the Waterboys every time I can in the future. Thank you so much Ciaran for tempting me to go. It was great advice. Happy days. Thanks to Jan for the photos. I bought a lovely signed poster on the way out.
Setlist (something like this): Set 1: Where the Action Is; Glastonbury Song; How Long Will I Love You; Ladbroke Grove; A Girl Called Johnny; This Is the Sea; All Souls Hill; When Ye Go Away; Blackberry Girl; Because the Night / The Pan Within.
There was no better band than 
And great songs: “Fool’s Gold”, “White Honey”, and the show-stopping reggae-tinged “(Hey Lord) Don’t Ask Me Questions”; it still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about being at a gig with the entire audience singing along “Hey Lord; Don’t Ask Me Questions”. There was just no-one to touch them on a good night; power, passion, rhythms, rock, dancing, and Graham Parker on fire in terms of his singing and his overall performance. See my programme from the distant past.
Graham Parker and the Rumour gigged relentlessly from 1976 on, and I saw them lots of times. My old ticket stubs tell me I was at gigs at Newcastle City Hall on 23rd March 1977 with Southside Johnny as support, 17th November 1977 (my late wife Marie’s birthday, she agreed to come along although she wasn’t a fan, and a drunken guy behind us spilled a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale all over her head, I was never forgiven for that night), 5th March 1979 and 5th April 1982 (by that point the Rumour had departed and the concert was Parker solo). I also remember a great gig at Newcastle Poly and seeing Parker as part of the supporting bill for Bob Dylan at his massive Blackbushe concert. There were probably others which escape my fading memory.
So, it is time to see Graham Parker again. This time at my local venue, 
At the outset of his career, his albums crackled with pub rock energy, snide witticisms, and perceptive insights, earning him a devoted following of fans and critics, who lavished praise on his debut, 1976’s Howlin’ Wind, recorded with the Rumour, his backing band of pub rock all-stars. After delivering Squeezing Out Sparks in 1979, which was a smash with critics and won him a larger audience in the United States, Parker courted a crossover career with solo projects such as 1982’s Another Grey Area and 1985’s Steady Nerves before settling into a cult following in the late ’80s and continuing to garner critical acclaim as his music mellowed but his lyrical perspective stayed sharp.”
Today Graham is once again surrounded by excellent musicians including old friend and legendary guitarist Martin Belmont, who I first saw in Ducks Deluxe in the Marquee club, London in 1974. He then became, of course, a member of the Rumour. Graham is no longer the angry young man but he is still a very soulful singer and yes, he still reminds me of Van Morrison. The set comprises songs new and old, many drawn from Parker’s latest album. But we also get treated to “Hey Lord, Don’t Ask Me Questions” and everyone sings along. As part of the lengthy encore Graham performs an exceptional version of Sinatra’s “That’s Life”. He really has mellowed in his later years. Finally, we are back to old favourites “Boogie Shoes” and “Soul Shoes”. Sadly, although someone in the crowd shouts for it, no “Fool’s Gold”. I can’t have everything. Still excellent after all these years.
Setlist: Ancient Past; Nothin’s Gonna Pull Us Apart; Under the Mask of Happiness; Last Stretch of the Road; Music of the Devil; It Mattered To Me; If it Ever Stops Raining; Hotel Chambermaid; Black Lincoln Continental; Get Started. Start a Fire; Lost Track of Time; Sun Valley; Back to Schooldays; (Hey Lord) Don’t Ask Me Questions; Since You Left Me Baby.
Another exciting concert at the local venue, 
In this special performance, modern-day icons 
Drawing from a songbook full of classics like ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’ and ‘Crazy’, you’ll hear the crème de la crème of country pop from some of the finest performers around. With songs spanning romance, heartbreak and drama – with a good dollop of joy – this is set to be a real sonic and visual feast. Cowboy boots optional.” (Drat I forgot to wear my cowboy boots: and I have a pair in the cupboard!)
This was an eclectic mix of artists and music. I am a big fan of Richard Hawley having seen him perform at the same venue a few months ago. I have heard of John Grant but I can’t claim to know much about the man or his music. And of course, I am very aware of the legacy of the legendary Patsy Cline and her country songs, many of which are tinged with sadness.
The venue was full as is often the case these days, and John Grant took centre stage with Richard Hawley and his band providing the music. Richard played some tremendous twangy, rock ‘n’ roll guitar; reminding me a little of Dick Dale and his surf guitar.
John Grant is a truly entertaining front man and did justice to Patsy Cline’s wonderful repertoire. I recognised many of the songs including the well-known “Crazy” which John reminded us was written by Willie Nelson. I had somehow forgotten that fact, but it jogged my memory of witnessing the great Willie perform the song. He also did a heartrending version of Hank Williams’ “Your Cheating Heart”. I also recognised quite a few of the songs, in particular “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “I Fall to Pieces”. Richard was very much the consummate side kick, effortlessly providing superb guitar accompaniment to the songs. A lovely evening with two true artists in a venue which is rapidly becoming extremely popular.
Setlist: (something like this): These Crazy Arms; Never No More; Walking After Midnight; There He Goes; Just Out Of Reach; Loose Talk; I Fall to Pieces; Yes, I Understand; Heartaches; Strange; Sweet Dreams (Of You); You’re Stronger Than Me; So Wrong; Your Cheatin’ Heart; Leavin’ On Your Mind; Crazy; Seven Lonely Days; Blue Moon Of Kentucky.
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